Playoff tickets on sale now

The TSSAA state playoffs are coming to Blankenship Field Friday for the first time in seven years and things have changed since then.

Robert Holder

The TSSAA state playoffs are coming to Blankenship Field Friday for the first time in seven years and things have changed since then.

Fans are asked to be aware of the changes.

Those wishing to purchase tickets for the Oak Ridge-Science Hill game can get them either at Oak Ridge High School or the Ferrell Shop in Jackson Square until noon on Friday.

Current reserved ticket holders have until noon today to pick up tickets. All remaining reserved tickets after that will go on sale to the public. Tickets cost $8, a price set by the TSSAA.

Kickoff is also moved up to 7 p.m. instead of the regular 7:30 p.m. time.

Oak Ridge (9-1) finished No. 6 in the Class 6A state poll this week. The Wildcats are riding a five-game winning streak into the playoffs and are 5-3 in the postseason under coach Scott Blade.

All time, the ‘Cats are 40-7 at home during the playoffs and 61-26 overall.

The Science Hill Hilltoppers (9-1) are No. 7 in the state. The winner will play either No. 1 Maryville or No. 8 seed Hardin Valley.

The last time Oak Ridge and Science Hill met in the playoffs was in 2005 when the Hilltoppers came to Blankenship. They were the first team on the Wildcats road to the Class 5A state finals game in Murfreesboro.

Oak Ridge won 48-28 before hosting Sevier County the week after. The ‘Cats would eventually fall to Ravenwood 7-14 at MTSU.

Oak Ridge is now hoping to make it to Cookeville and Tennessee Tech’s Tucker Stadium. The home of the Golden Eagles has played host to the TSSAA state playoffs since 2010.